Wow. Automatic Gainsay just fell all over himself loving the new Arturia MiniBrute. I'm wondering if anything can really be that great, anything, that is, that doesn't also automatically dispense intravenous martinis at the same time.

This thing sounds serious. It make some of my other more expensive stuff look kind of stodgy...

So how many of you have already set aside the cash? My wallet already feels thinner.

I really like the non-traditional analog sounds that it makes without really losing the character of an analog synth. I also - although I'm still digesting the videos - really digging the user interface and how they broke out the modulation matrix without any buried menus or dual-purpose shift+<knob/button> anything. That's pretty impressive.

This is not a synth I would have to hunt around on for useable sounds. I could close my eyes, dial up something and twist the brute-force thingy and be there...

Update: So it would be nice if I linked to the videos... so here they are:

Hell yeah. I guess if someone was after some creamy retro sounds it might not be the synth for them, but that Metalizer on the triangle with sample and hold, WOW, instant fat electrohouse. I'm frothing at the bit waiting for my Minibrute to launch.

Honestly, I think it's being overhyped at this point. Some people seem to be setting their expectations so high that invariably it's going to disappoint. It's a single osc monosynth. Yeah, it's got some neat stuff and the market is somewhat starved for modern analogs. But it's just a single osc monosynth.

Honestly, I think it's being overhyped at this point. Some people seem to be setting their expectations so high that invariably it's going to disappoint. It's a single osc monosynth. Yeah, it's got some neat stuff and the market is somewhat starved for modern analogs. But it's just a single osc monosynth.

I thought Gainsay was going to have a coronary...

You're right about it being a single oscillator monosynth, but it really sounds nice just like that. I'm amazed sometimes how nice some of my synths sound when they are dialed in as single oscillator monos... Pure.

Honestly, I think it's being overhyped at this point. Some people seem to be setting their expectations so high that invariably it's going to disappoint. It's a single osc monosynth. Yeah, it's got some neat stuff and the market is somewhat starved for modern analogs. But it's just a single osc monosynth.

Don't underestimate single osc monosynths :] The possibilities with the features on this thing are really quite impressive, and at that price!! The quality sounds superb from the prototypes, and I can't wait to get my hands on one.

It definitely already has its place in my studio. I have a specific use in mind for this one, and I feel like I'm going to be turning to it a lot more frequently than some of my much pricier beasts.

Oh, I'm not knocking single osc monosynths. I've got a Monotribe that I've been pretty impressed at the sounds I get out of it, and it's tons of fun to play with to boot.

But it's the sheer hype, to the point that some people can't even wait an extra month or two for Arturia to start shipping these... I think some of these people are going to wind up disappointed. It would not surprise me to see some Minibrutes hitting the used market in the summer or early fall.

Oh, I'm not knocking single osc monosynths. I've got a Monotribe that I've been pretty impressed at the sounds I get out of it, and it's tons of fun to play with to boot.

But it's the sheer hype, to the point that some people can't even wait an extra month or two for Arturia to start shipping these... I think some of these people are going to wind up disappointed. It would not surprise me to see some Minibrutes hitting the used market in the summer or early fall.

It looks pretty great to me. I cant see any buyer's remorse for $499.99 to be honest. The price is what's causing most of the hype.

But it's the sheer hype, to the point that some people can't even wait an extra month or two for Arturia to start shipping these...

That isn't hype. THIS is hype: "OMFG I can't eat until this ships I had no cash so I sold my grandma to put down a pre-order if it doesn't launch in April I'm going to kill myself by getting in the bath with my DX7 while it's pugged in!"

You're right about it being a single oscillator monosynth, but it really sounds nice just like that. I'm amazed sometimes how nice some of my synths sound when they are dialed in as single oscillator monos... Pure.

I know what you mean. I do a lot of guitar multi-tracking and a nice pure single osc analog lead really goes well with it. A lot of times I think its when you have an all organic type mix, with just one synth part, that the synth stands out even more than an all synth track. And 1 analog vco is you need. Just listen to all the funk/jazz tracks from the 70's with live guitars, drums, bass, etc, and then 1 Arp soloist solo. Its those solos that tend to stand out more in your memory. Space Race, Funky Worm, etc

I really liked just the pure square and triangle waves that he displayed in the oscillator video. I could definitely use those. I don't know about the other sounds, but those sounded great for my needs if I were to buy one.

They should have just made a module. It looks like a cheap midi controller or something you'd buy at Toys R US. It's the most gimmicky analog synth I've ever seen. It's got some cool sounds, but to include basic functions with cheesy trademarked names is stupid.

If I decided tomorrow to bring to market a monosynth for $500, I definitely wouldn't be able to. I most certainly wouldn't be able to produce one that looks as visually crisp as this one, or that sounded like a synth and had the features that a synth would tend to have.

On the other hand, I would also never pretend that this offers anything that any of a few dozen overlooked vintage monos doesn't. Maybe this will pair well for people who are still in manic jack-mode over the Tempest.

On the other hand, I would also never pretend that this offers anything that any of a few dozen overlooked vintage monos doesn't.

I don't know about that. Name a vintage analogue monosynth that can be bought for about $500 that has the features of the minibrute... I'm not sure which ones you're thinking of.

2 LFOs which can be sent to waveshape, filter and some other stuff as well as pitch; that metalizer and brute factor thingy, control voltage output in addition to input, etc, etc.... seems to have a tonne of features for a single oscillator synth.

I don't know about that. Name a vintage analogue monosynth that can be bought for about $500 that has the features of the minibrute... I'm not sure which ones you're thinking of.

2 LFOs which can be sent to waveshape, filter and some other stuff as well as pitch; that metalizer and brute factor thingy, control voltage output in addition to input, etc, etc.... seems to have a tonne of features for a single oscillator synth.

I think that it has a sound which won't please everyone. It's certainly harsh, but without the massive body punch of something like a Little Phatty.

On the other hand, you can criticise any synth in this way... "Voyager's too vanilla," etc, etc. Ie., only buy it if you like the sound :-) I reckon this is going to slot into modern-sounding mixes really well... maybe there are better options for rounded edged complexity and subtlety.

On the other hand, I would also never pretend that this offers anything that any of a few dozen overlooked vintage monos doesn't.

It offers a Steiner Parker filter. That's not something available in a few dozen monos, vintage or otherwise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ausgeno

If you already have an SH-101 fair enough, but there's no way I'd get an SH-101 over a Minibrute unless you absolutely couldn't live without that extra octave worth of keys.

I was being kind of silly there, but that said, I genuinely do prefer the rubbery sound of the 101, even if it is one of the more obvious synths out there for anyone who knows what they're listening to.

The Minibrute sounds quite good for what it's designed to do - biting leads. But that's not really something I have a ton of use for lately. If I do want that, I have the Mopho which does more in term of sound design capabilities. I'm building a Eurorack which goes well beyond anything else it does as a mono.

Don't mistake me for hating on this though, I appreciate the spirit i which it was made, and I can see it showing up in a lot of tracks. They made a good choice with that filter and choice of on-board effects, and didn't skimp on the features at all.

It looks pretty great to me. I cant see any buyer's remorse for $499.99 to be honest. The price is what's causing most of the hype.

Exactly. If this thing was hitting the stores at $1000+ dollars we'd be crying foul. But it's not. It's in what I call the Goldielocks zone. Not too cheap, not too expensive. So will it be all things to all people? No. Will some people have buyer's remorse? Yes. To some people if it's not a SH-X, it's not for them. Those people will probably be sad.

but... do it sound like my Phatty? No.
Do it sound like my MoPho? No.
Do it sound like my ATC-x? No.
Do it sound like any VSTi in my collection? Most definitively not.

So for what's really not a large amount of cash at all, you have a very new flavor (smart for Arturia) for the price of two of their soft synths. Frankly, the more I think about it, the more stoked I get. Arturia's demos weren't that interesting but listening to that dude fiddle with it gets me very excited. Maybe my birthday present will be late this year.